These days, the stretch of Orange Avenue south of Gore Street is officially known as Downtown South, one of Orlando's Main Street Neighborhoods with all the marketing push that comes with the designation.

When I lived there during my college days, I never really thought of the area as a "neighborhood," which suited me fine. Back then, that word implied rent that I couldn't afford. Besides, it didn't really feel like one: The strip malls and barbecue joints reminded me more of my small hometown in South Florida than an alternative to downtown Orlando.

Today, the strip malls are still very much a part of Downtown South, but you can find some quality watering holes hiding between them. Tucked away in SoDo plaza, OLV (25 W. Crystal Lake St.) offers quality brunch bites and wine. Orlando Brewing (1301 Atlanta Ave.) has been serving up signature beers in the warehouse district since before craft brews were cool. Two of Orlando's finest brewpubs — the Gnarly Barley and Belle Isle Yacht Pub — share a single block a few miles south (7431 and 7521 S. Orange Ave.).

Add to that list Vanbarry's Public House. This casual bar and eatery opened in April, and clearly the area was more than ready for it, with crowds that gave the staff a trial by fire during the soft opening.

The place is the third bar concept from Caitlin Van Voorhis, proprietor of Finnhenry's in downtown Orlando and Ollie's Public House in College Park. One wonders why she didn't simply call her latest venture "Ollie's South": Vanbarry's lifts plenty from the laid-back Ollie's, from menu items to the welcoming patio. The outdoor space in particular works even better here, thanks to the view of Lake Jennie Jewel across the street.

While both bars share the same carefree vibe, Vanbarry's has less of a sports-bar feel. There are plenty of TV sets around, but their presence is felt less strongly, allowing the nightly music acts to grab some attention. (Acoustic strummer Ace Suggs and Dan Verduin of Big 10-4 are regular performers.)

Draft beers offer ample variety without getting too pretentious, with selections that range from Miller Lite ($3.50) to Sea Dog's Sunfish Ale ($5.50). Craft-beer aficionados will find more options in the bottle menu, and there is a small array of wine kegs on tap ($6 per glass) for vino lovers.

Ginger beer features heavily in Vanbarry's signature cocktail list, which includes two variations on the Dark & Stormy. In keeping with the mood, recipes don't get too complicated — there were more ingredients on the garnish skewer than there were in my satisfying but not too strong Stacked Bloody Mary ($5.50).

If you're looking for something potent, the "pickleback" shots are as much of a staple here as they are at Ollie's. I am widely ridiculed among friends for my hatred of pickles, so you would think that I'd run screaming from Vanbarry's, which offers a free jar of thick-sliced pickles to diners. But the pickleback shots are a rare exception that I'd try again, especially the Dirty Finn (a shot of Tullamore Dew whiskey and a spicy pickle juice chaser, $4).

After that, pickle lovers can overdose on Fried Pickles ($6.50) or try the rest of Vanbarry's inventive but still blue-collar food menu. The red peppers and peanut sauce in my Thai High Tacos ($7.50) were a bit dry but soaked up the drinks nicely.

More important, both drinks and food were affordable, which has endeared Vanbarry's to Downtown South locals as much as anything else. When you're trying to establish a neighborhood identity, the worst thing you can do is try too hard. Vanbarry's makes casual bar-going look as effortless as it should be.